First post, by claunia
Greetings programs,
Ok this may not be the ultimate comparison for you but...
There are 1997 comparison videos (nice number eh!?) as of this writing so it's pretty big.
I have compared 17 games across 10 sound cards (plus a few extras), in different modes, and separated everything in playlists I'll paste below.
At the end of the lists I have some FAQ before you shout at me 😉
GAMES:
Blake Stone: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqxrhxvMan … 0-jWlkAcIgda73J
Descent: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqxrhxvMan … QlsV5h9ZvM2xQ9K
DOOM II: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqxrhxvMan … K8SB7sgEm-JIV37
Duke Nukem 3D: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqxrhxvMan … ToGMnJGE4aiJLb7
Duke Nukem II: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqxrhxvMan … qgoV91qyCc_abo0
Dune II: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqxrhxvMan … 5ZBBNOYWoBWkvSX
Heretic: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqxrhxvMan … dw323aZm6I4B39p
Hexen: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqxrhxvMan … E4UNejkuTFVyw9L
Lemmings: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqxrhxvMan … E8LUwPdBBNcVrq1
Master of Orion: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqxrhxvMan … gzAKt_ngI28F_P9
Monkey Island 2: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqxrhxvMan … TDbzdd_mwPaVCLb
The Secret of Monkey Island: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqxrhxvMan … w8kyBatcYHL_R5-
Ultimate DOOM: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqxrhxvMan … 9JYsjnSDvwRd2ds
WarCraft: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqxrhxvMan … 67mE7ItSgjSHEzQ
WarCraft II: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqxrhxvMan … cJrseBjPEPwvEsj
X-COM Terror from the Deep: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqxrhxvMan … IVvjVCsKWAZe-eQ
X-COM UFO Defense: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqxrhxvMan … lPzW6D6RLAYdjLn
After testing all these games with each corresponding sound card there is a conclusion. This conclusion is personal, subjective, and you may arrive to a different one. You're welcome to have your own opinion, that doesn't make it right, or mine wrong, just a different one, enjoy it!
Aztech AZT2320:
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqxrhxvMan … LtHAluet1SnjGxN
A nice OPL3 clone, it is hard to find it sounding different from the real deal, but being ISA only your experience may vary depending on the age and state of the capacitors.
Centris 650:
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqxrhxvMan … fxnJZEn2yV6D0mt
A little extra. Macintosh computers did not have a sound card so the music synthesis is done via software using a Roland licensed soundfont. This is one of the most, if not the most, powerful Macintosh computers in the Motorola 680x0 generation, with a 8-bit 22KHz DAC, however you can see the developers needed to choose between cycles for the game or cycles for the music, and it shows.
C-Media CMI8738:
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqxrhxvMan … r0knkayretouDoE
As an OPL clone it sounds a little worse than the original, but is something manageable. The good thing is that the PCI chipset compatibility is not so bad, you can find brand new cards still being manufactured, and most of them have, or can be modified to have, SPDIF output, for the cleanest signal.
Creative CQM:
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqxrhxvMan … 40qi7pRB132NRgd
Creative OPL clone, "an enhancement" in their own words. In my opinion it's the worst clone I have tested, it adds some kind of rattlesnake sound to everything, it's just awful.
I tested it in a Sound Blaster 32 PnP but it can be found in a lot of the Creative cards, so be sure to check the card before spending money on this clone inadvertently.
Creative CT5880:
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqxrhxvMan … wuCK6faStoA-Lpj
Found in the Sound Blaster PCI saga, an evolution (and supposedly the same as) of Ensoniq's AudioPCI ES137x chips. It supports emulating the OPL via software, as well as General MIDI and MT-32 modes.
As for the MT-32 mode is very easy to enable or disable.
But the OPL mode. I would not say it is a bad clone. It's not OPL, it just replaces the OPL commands with wavetable sounds, and it sounds, all, wrong, and, bad.
However if your game supports MT-32 or General MIDI, it sounds incredible, specially with the 8MiB optional soundfont.
Also PCI compatibility is very good, and most cards can be modified very easily to add SPDIF support.
Creative EMU10K1:
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqxrhxvMan … pnr5MOdtTjqDtBV
A mixture of Ensoniq's and E-MU's wavetable technologies. Not very different in DOS from the CT5880 except when in OPL mode.
While OPL is emulated via software, it sounds much better, more similar to a real OPL chip. However in CPU intensive games the music gets out of sync. And one of the games in my test could not work, in any mode, with this card (X-COM UFO Defense).
It also supports MT-32 mode but it is a tad bit more difficult to enable, needing to manually open the mixer to enable it. Also it doesn't sound as good as the CT5880 using the default font, but sounds very good using the 8MiB one.
For General MIDI there's no difference with the CT5880. PCI compatibility is also very good and most cards already have the pins to add SPDIF, just search for the pinout on this forum.
Creative EMU8801:
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqxrhxvMan … EFH2lZuI0cdEpcm
As a wavetable it's good, if you can add more RAM to the card add it, and use a better soundfont. The advantage is that you can load SF2 so you're not limited to the three ones made by Ensoniq as with the SB PCI and Live cards.
However, game support is far from good. OPL mode uses a companion chip and almost, if not all, AWE cards, use the awful CQM.
And for wavetable you need specific game support or loading a TSR that basically only works with real mode games, limiting its use greatly.
ESS AudioDrive (ESS1868F):
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqxrhxvMan … 3_LHq32GOk3fZ23
Their OPL3 clone, called ESFM, is in my opinion, not just the best clone... in some notes, it sounds more vivid, and real, than the original.
It also has an enhanced mode but on my tests only WarCraft II supported it, and well there, it sounds better than the SB mode (aka OPL).
Definitively the best all-round ISA card except that it only supports up to Sound Blaster Pro digital sounds (unless the game supports the enhanced mode).
ESS Solo (ES1946S):
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqxrhxvMan … NZelMENzQCj7Xv0
Same OPL clone, ESFM, except in PCI form and still being manufactured and sold.
Of all the PCI cards it's the one with most compatibility with motherboards and games, but it seems to not have SPDIF output in anyway.
Also while it shall have the same enhanced mode, WarCraft II was unable to initialize it and I could not get any ESS mixer application to work to change the volume.
LS-212:
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqxrhxvMan … rE0rXkdeLLcgmBE
An unauthorized OPL clone of unknown origin that was very common. So common even Creative used it in cards that you would expect to find the real deal.
It is awful, it sounds numb, stay far away.
PC Speaker:
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqxrhxvMan … TM70MoxiVirKPK8
Ok, for the LOLs
PowerBook G3:
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqxrhxvMan … qDao6meoWnS8H91
Same as all Macintosh, software based synthesis, but this time, with enough CPU power to run everything at 16-bit 44.1KHz.
Except if the game is not PowerPC designed, the music will get out of sync, because it is basically running inside an emulator.
Sound Blaster Pro 2.0:
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqxrhxvMan … f5zT2yW9k_AmrQ9
The original, authentic, Yamaha OPL3 you love and hate, nothing else can be said, but these cards are starting to get so expensive when working, better look into alternatives.
VT8231:
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqxrhxvMan … GYDjTrZm6WwcGjr
One of the VIA chipsets that include Sound Blaster Pro support in hardware.
The OPL support is done via software, and takes quite an amount of RAM, but works will all games. Doesn't sound too crap, mostly, at least better than CQM and LS-212, but worse than ESS or Aztech clones.
Also you cannot get it in an expansion card, but you can get cheap computers that include this chipset, and call it a day.
mt-32 Pi
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqxrhxvMan … LyYIyzIZmgeWu75
It is brutal. Thing is many people don't really know it works on real DOS machines (it does) thinking only does on MiSTeR (it does!) or Atari (it does!!!) or...
Just so you know it even works in Windows 11, but you really do not need for (you can point DOSBox or 86Box to it, but so can also to software running in your Windows anyway).
The included General MIDI font is amazing, the MT-32 sounds excellent (want to think it tries to be a perfect emulation?) but you still need SoftMPU if your card does not offer Intelligent MPU-401.
It is certainly worth to get a PCB and a Pi (at normal, non-scalper prices) to use it with a real DOS machine.
So what would I recommend?
I would recommend going for a Sound Blaster Live!. Many models, very cheap to get, quite new so no capacitor replacement needed for most, and afaik, all of them support SPDIF. Just ensure you enable MT-32 or General MIDI in your game.
As a second option the Sound Blaster PCI offers most of the same as the Live!.
Then, ESS Solo offers the most compatibility of all PCI cards.
And if you do not have PCI, an prefer to go thru the ISA route, get the ESS AudioDrive.
FAQ:
- Why have you not tested the Sound Blaster Audigy?
Afaik it shall sound the same as the Live!. But the reason is just that I do not remember where I stored mine when I moved with my wife, so, wait til I found it.
- Why have you not tested the real Roland MT-32?
Because it is expensive, let me get one.
- Why have you not tested the Gravis Ultrasound?
It is unobtanium, so, yeah, not gonna happen, not going to spend hunders of euros on a card just to record the videos, sorry.
- Why have you not tested CARD XXXX?
Because or it has the same exact FM/MT/GM synthesis chip as one that I already have, or I do not know about it. Drop the name in a comment.
- Why have you not tested GAME YYYY?
I tested the games I liked, the ones that evoke me the most nostalgia, and I won't test any more games. If anything, I may test one Sierra OnLine game, because they were very detailed with the music, but I still have not decided which one is the best (suggestions welcome).
- Why have you not changed this setting and this other one so it sounds better?
Because the idea is to listen to how they sound by default. Yes I know you can disable the echo chamber in the AWE cards. But not everybody does know every option. So defaults are used.
Oh and my main channel is https://www.youtube.com/@TinkeringDaemon so subscribe if you want to see me tinkering with old hardware.
Enjoy!
EDITS:
2023/02/01: Added mt32-pi